Loom for use in occupational therapy



Aprifi4, 1950 B. E. ALLAN ET AL LOOM FOR USE IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1948 INVc 13% M m M0 Aprifl 4, 1950 B. E. ALLAN ET AL 2,502,691

LOOM FOR USE IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Filed Nov. 30, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 32 "I t L T ll 7|, nun If INVQNTOR 6% Y- 504.4%

April 1950 B. E. ALLAN ET AL v 2,502,691

LOOM FOR USE IN OCCUPATIONAL TI-IERAPY Filed Nov. 50, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVQNTDR Patented Apr. 4, 1950 THERAP Barbara Elizabeth Allan, Peterborough, and Annette Mary Bourdillon England Goring, near Reading,

Application November 30, 1948, Serial No. 62,692 In Great Britain December 22, 1947 6 Claims.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved form of loom which will be suitable for use in occupational therapy and particularly as a means of exercising the leg muscles of persons confined to bed.

A loom in accordance with this invention comprises a frame adapted to be secured across a bed so that it straddles the patient and it is characterised by the fact that the shed is changed by a reciprocatory heald operable through the medium of strings or other flexible connections by alternate bending and stretching movements (or other to-and-fro motions) of the patients legs to which said connections are attached.

One construction of loom embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of the 100m shown separately, Fig. 2 is a side elevation depicting the loom in use, Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 is a partly sectional plan on the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

As will be seen from the drawings, the loom comprises a light frame consisting of two vertical side members I and II, which are secured together in spaced parallel relationship by transverse bars l2 and 'I3, and two rollers I4 and I5.

The rollers I4 and I5 are rotatably supported between pairs of bearing brackets IS; the roller I4 constitutes the warp beam, whilst the roller I5 serves as the cloth roller. Handles I41 and I5I are provided for turning the respective rollers to unwind the warp threads and wind up the woven cloth as the weaving progresses. The warp threads are indicated at I! and I8, being divided into two sheds in the conventional manner. A hand shuttle is shown at I9.

Straps 20, 20 are attached to the lower edges of the side members I0 and I I to enable the loom to be secured firmly upon a bed, so that the loom straddles the patients legs, in the position substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

Attached to the inner faces of the side members I0 and II are two guide-bars 2!, 22 each slotted on its inwardly facing side. Said bars 2|, 22 are braced at their extremities by a cross-bar 23, and slidably mounted in said slots in a heald 24, the cross-wires or dents 25 of which are provided with eyes 26 through which the appropriately selected warp threads I8 are passed, the arrangement being such that the shed can be changed at alternate picks, or passages of the shuttle I9, by reciprocating movements of the heald 24 between its guide bars 2|, 22, so that the warp threads I8 are disposed, alternately, before and behind the warp threads I1.

The heald movements may be executed in different ways, according to the particular movement of the legs which it is intended that the patient shall employ. For example a cord may be connected between a loop 21 in the rear edge of the heald and the ankle of one leg so that an extension of the leg will draw the heald to the rearward position, the return movement to the position shown in Fig. 3 being performed by the tension springs 28 which are anchored to the ends of the bars 2I, 22. Alternatively, the said springs 28 may be removed and the return movements effected by the extension of the other leg through the medium of a second cord passed to a loop 29 at the front edge of the heald over pulleys 39, 3|. Further pulleys are conveniently provided at a variety of positions on the loom, e. g. upon the adjustable supports 32, 33, so that a suitable arrangement of cords may be made to provide operative connections for the heald to suit different leg movements.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loom for use in occupational therapy, comprising a frame having means for its attachment to and across a bed so that it straddles the patient, a warp supported on said frame and arranged in two sheds, a heald mounted for reciprocating movement in said frame, the shed of warp being changed by movements of said reciprocating heald, and flexible means for connecting said heald to the patients legs so that the heald may be operated by alternate to and fro movements of the patients legs.

2. A loom as claimed in claim 1, the frame whereof comprises two side-members suitably braced apart and carrying rollers between which the warp shed is stretched, said heald being mounted between said side-members for guided sliding movement across the line of the shed and having apertured dents for reception of selected warps.

3. A loom as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heald is mounted in slotted guide-bars carried by the side-members of the frame.

4. A loom as claimed in claim 1, comprising tension springs attached to the heald and anchored to a fixed part of the frame, for eifecting return movements of the heald.

5. A loom as claimed in claim 1, provided with guide-pulleys at suitable points so that the heald may be operated through the medium of flexible connections passed over certain of such pulleys appropriate to a variety of different leg movements.

6. A 100111 for use in occupational therapy, com- REFERENCES CITED prising frame having means for its attachment The followin references are of record in me to and across a bed so that it straddles the pame of this paint: tient, said frame including means for supporting a warp thereon, a heald mountedifor recip- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS rocating movement in said frame, the "shed 'of a Number Name Date warp supported on said frame being changed by 334,320 Wernicke Jan. 12, 1886 movements of said reciprocating heald, and flex- 392,859 Fichtner Nov. 13, 1888 ible means for connecting said heald to the .pa- 1,332,166 Neergaard Feb. 24, 1920 tients legs so that the heald may be operated'by 10 1;519,023 Neergaard Dec. 9, 1924 alternate to and fro movements of the patients 2,437,716 Tiefenthal Mar. 16, 1948 legs. '2;'469,'128 Peco't M y 1949 BARBARA ELIZABETH ALLAN. ANNETTE MARY BOURDILION. 

